1931-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista, the 1931-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-002 on the Buffalo Nickel shows a medium spread behind the middle of the left rear leg, behind the top of the left front leg, and below the neck of the American bison. James Earle Fraser's iconic Buffalo Nickel design, featuring a Native American composite portrait on the obverse and an American bison (modeled after Black Diamond from the Central Park Zoo) on the reverse, was struck at the San Francisco Mint in cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) at 5.00 grams and 21.2 mm diameter. The 1931-S had a relatively low mintage of 1,200,000 pieces, making it a semi-key date in the series and one where any recognized variety commands additional collector interest. VarietyVista assigns die markers UVC-126 and DMR-003 with three documented die stages: Stage A at Early Die State (unconfirmed), Stage B at Mid Die State showing a light die crack from the Native American's head to the U of UNITED with the obverse also at MDS, and Stage C at Late Die State (unconfirmed). The medium spread on the bison's legs and neck area places the doubling on the most detailed portion of Fraser's reverse design, where the animal's musculature provides clear reference lines for detecting the displacement. The head-to-U die crack at Stage B connects the two most prominent design elements on the obverse, making die state identification straightforward on well-preserved examples.

Die Markers

• UVC-126
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die crack from head to U of UNITED – MDS
• Obverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Leroy Van Allen
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References